Modern Manners for the Digital Native: Saying Goodbye

One of my pet peeves: people who hang up the phone without saying goodbye. Saying "goodbye" is the verbal indicator that the conversation has come to an end and signals that it is time to hang up. However, in our society of computer mediated technology and social networking, our sometimes synchronous but often asynchronous conversations often lack the normal cues of face to face communication but do not necessarily lack verbal cues. In other words, when chatting online with someone, especially in a chat interface such as on Facebook or an instant messenger (does anyone still use those?), saying "goodbye" is still a cue that the conversation has come to an end. And yet, why is it that chat conversations tend to just taper off and then one person signs off, leaving the other perplexed and without closure? With the exception of one or two friends, this is exactly what happens to me.

Maybe the conversation wasn't particularly exciting for the other party. Or perhaps they just didn't want to talk to me. A verbal indication that the conversation has come to the end, coupled with a final salutation, should be not only common sense, but also good manners (or netiquette). Don't just leave me hanging! When I go back to check my Facebook tab and see that the reason my chat partner hasn't responded in a while is because they randomly signed off, I'm left feeling a bit like someone hung up on me.

I know, this probably isn't a big deal and I'm sure most people would say "who cares?" But manners matter, pure and simple. I always try to make an effort to say goodbye to people in a chat conversation because it just seems like the decent thing to do. I would never hang up on someone without saying goodbye (unless the point was to hang up on them, as if to make a point) and generally speaking when it's done to me I become quite perplexed. Just because we are sitting at computers does not mean we should abandon our manners. 

And with that, goodbye. 

Apartment 54: I Love Presents

Apartment 54: I Love Presents: Yesterday I celebrated my birthday with Jeff's mom and dad and we had a really lovely time. We ate delicious food at Bucca di Beppo (where I...

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Memories

After merging all of the old blogs together into this one and while going through each post to update the labels, I happened to come across a few entries that I had forgotten about and which made me laugh, and one or two that were quite dramatic and riddled with angst. I'm glad I have a place to vent and get things off my chest but later on when life seems happier and more stable - like it does right now - reading those older posts almost makes me feel ashamed, or something. For instance I read a post about Jeff's parents that really made me realize how far we've come. There was a point in time where I felt I wouldn't completely win Jeff's mom over. Strangely enough I understand now where she was coming from. She wants the best for her son and it takes more than just a few meetings and a couple of years to truly trust a person. Fortunately for me, I feel I have earned her trust, respect, and approval.

And more so, I enjoy spending time with her and Jeff's dad. We had gone over on Superbowl Sunday and while Jeff and his dad fixed stuff around the house his mom and I drank champagne and watched TV. She fixed a hem on a blouse for me. She looked through clothing catalogs to help me find new clothes. Not to mention she and her family welcomed my completely at Christmastime. Where wondering about the future once gave me uncertainty I now feel completely at ease and even look forward to having them as a part of my family.

I'm sure there will be moments in the future where heads will butt, but that seems quite normal. Truthfully speaking, I consider myself quite lucky to have not only an amazing partner in Jeff, but a great family to one day  merge with my already tremendously awesome family.

Convergence.

I've had 3 blogs over the past 4 years and they've all been scattered around in different places. After dealing with the headache of WordPress and with a little import/export magic, I've combined all of my blogs here into one spot. I'll need to go through and adjust some things to get it looking perfect, so please bear with me while I do that. Other than that, I'm excited to be back using a blogging platform I can rely on!

A Love for Jewel(Mint)

 I don't recall when I first heard of JewelMint but it has taken me a while to join the subscription box service trend. While I love finding great things to put in my apartment to make it look and feel more beautiful, I also love to do the same for myself on occasion. This is where JewelMint has been stylishly helpful.

My JewelMint collection. Click for bigger image.

My little collection is growing and while it looks like a lot, only two items were purchased at full price. The rest were purchased from private sellers at a discounted rate (and with birthday money, no less). In any event, I am loving each piece. There is something really special about wearing pretty jewelry and feeling pretty, even while doing mundane tasks like grocery shopping. Jeffrey doesn't seem to mind, either. In fact he is helpful and tells me if the Hayden necklace doesn't go with my blouse but the Love Spell does. His involvement makes it so much more worth it!
 As of now I don't have any plans to purchase more. I'm still waiting on the Madame Mystery earrings to arrive in the mail (along with some other birthday purchases).

Hello, 29

It's difficult for me to realize that as of today I am now 29 years old. The number just sounds so much more significant than I feel I am age-wise. Next year there will be a new number before my age and with it a new and different chapter of my life. It is a bit strange because when I was younger I could not see my life past the age of 21. Strangely enough my life improved vastly in my early- to mid-twenties and I began to make plans for everything I wanted to do before I reached 30. Now that I'm exactly one year away from 30 I realize some goals just aren't going to happen. And that's not really a bad thing.

When Jeff and I first became serious I told him the goals I had - things like having my first child or at least being pregnant by the time I'm 30. But at that time I never imagined I would be in graduate school and living almost completely independently with Jeff. I see now that some goals will have to be pushed back because other events that have only just begun have changed my immediate priorities.

The goals that I once had are still my goals, they just aren't as immediate. Right now my focus is on continuing in graduate school and identifying a potential career. In some ways life is slower but more busy and intense. If that makes any sense. The one important thing to keep in mind is that just because you set an ideal goal for yourself that doesn't mean that you can't push it back until later if other, more important things appear in the interim.

I don't know if I will ever feel my age. I was raised around adults and always got along better with people who were much older than me. I was a bit older than the other students in undergrad, especially in the dorms. Right now I feel as though I am in the company of similarly-aged students in my graduate program but I don't really know them all. What I suppose I'm trying to say is that my age has always been different from the age I feel I am. I feel much younger than I perceive 29 to be. I certainly look younger than 29 (when I compare myself to others who are my age). I'm sure in a few years I will be absolutely delighted to look younger than my current age. In the meantime I should just enjoy feeling the way I do and not worry about what a number means.